The frost and severe weather conditions that have hit Cyprus in recent weeks have resulted in several open crops being affected, say farmers' organisations. In a statement to the Cyprus News Agency, the General Secretary of Panagrotikos Tasos Yapanis referred to the total destruction of open crops. They were irreparably affected, says Yannakis Gavriel, Chairman of the Agriculture Committee of the Parliament and District Secretary of the Union of Cypriot Farmers (UFC) of Famagusta. The two organisations are calling for support for farmers from the state, while Androulla Georgiou, Director of the Department of Agriculture, Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment, notes that in all provinces the potato crop has been damaged by the frost, as well as other vegetables and tree crops have suffered a lot of damage, and the Department's workers are monitoring in the field and recording the damage.
Farmers' organisations are calling for support by adopting what they say are simple measures including a reduction in excise duty on fuel and a cap on grain prices.
As Giannakis Gavriil, Chairman of the Agriculture Committee of the Parliament and District Secretary of the Cyprus Farmers' Union (CSU) Famagusta, told the Cyprus News Agency, "the frost and severe weather conditions that have hit Cyprus in recent weeks, resulted in the irreparable damage to several open crops, which were out of greenhouse, in the Larnaca district, the free province of Famagusta and other provinces of the island".
As he said when asked by the Cyprus News Agency , "the new Agricultural Insurance Plan needs to be reviewed because it has several distortions and is expected to be discussed at a later stage in the Agriculture Committee of the Parliament in order to correct the wrongdoings."
He added that "a major problem facing farmers and agriculturists is that of the increase in the prices of the products they use for their crops, electricity and oil, which are characterized as unsustainable since they can no longer afford them. We expect the state to announce measures to support farmers who are literally on the verge of closing down their crops."
However, he noted "however many times farmers and farmers' organizations have protested both the price increases and the lack of support from the state, there has been no response."
Asked about the issue of the increase in prices of agricultural products, Yiannakis Gavriel said that "the specific price increases in goods such as potatoes, vegetables and fruits are related to the brokers and not to the farmers. It is not possible for consumers to pay the price increases of various goods, but for farmers not to be properly remunerated." A new Unfair Trade Practices Law was recently passed, he noted, which should have already been implemented and we should have seen the first results, adding that "we have found that the controls on this legislation have not yet started."
The state, he continued, "should take its responsibilities and support farmers and peasants if it wants the primary sector to continue to exist."
The state, he continued, "should take its responsibilities and support farmers and peasants if it wants the primary sector to continue to exist. Some simple steps that can be taken to support farmers include reducing excise duty on fuel, capping grain prices and implementing the Unfair Trade Practices Act."
For his part, the General Secretary of the Pan-Agricultural Tassos Yapanis said that "the frost and the extreme weather events that have been observed recently in Cyprus, due to climate change, affect all provinces and all crops. Most affected were potato crops, citrus and other fruit trees that are open, since the rest of the crops, including perishable and other vegetables, are in greenhouses."
He added that "year by year we will have more frequent such phenomena as frost, hail and severe polygonal rainfall that primarily and not only affect open crops. Farmers have undertaken a great cost starting with the purchase of the plants and ending with the harvest, however due to the weather conditions that have been prevailing in Cyprus recently, open crops have suffered total destruction."
In response to a question, Mr. Yapanis thanked "the officials of the Ministry of Agriculture for visiting the frost-affected areas and recording the damage."
Yapanis thanked "the officials of the Ministry of Agriculture for visiting the frost-affected areas and recording the damage. However, we ask that this process proceed immediately and quickly, while it is the sole responsibility of the Ministry of Agriculture official to determine what the affected area will be and what its extent will be, so that any compensation can be given properly and fairly."
For her part, Androulla Georgiou, Director of the Department of Agriculture, Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment said that "this year has really been a difficult year in agricultural production in Cyprus, due to the burden of climate change. In all provinces the potato crop has been damaged by frost as well as other vegetables and tree crops have suffered a lot of damage."
She added that "the officials of the Department of Agriculture are out in the field, monitoring on the ground all the issues concerning the crops and recording the damage caused by the frost."
In response to a question regarding the increase in vegetable prices precisely because of the damage suffered by the crops, Ms. Georgiou replied that "everyone is aware that the prices of various agricultural products, fruits and vegetables have increased. However, any cost should not be shared only by our farmers."
At the same time, she appealed "to the public to visit the farmers' markets located in all cities and in several communities, where they can buy the products they want at lower prices. We also urge people to prefer Cypriot products in order to help in their own way the agricultural world, which has been having a difficult time in recent years."
Regarding exports of agricultural products, the Director of the Department of Agriculture said that "it is normal that in a period like this, where there are severe weather conditions, farmers and companies that had commitments with foreign supermarkets cannot fulfill them to the extent they should."
As far as exports of agricultural products are concerned, the Director of the Department of Agriculture said that "it is normal that in a period like this, where there are severe weather conditions, farmers and companies that had commitments with foreign supermarkets cannot fulfill them to the extent they should.
Asked about the protests of farmers who claim that they are actually working at a loss since the production is not enough to cover their expenses, Androulla Georgiou said that "the agricultural profession is one of the most difficult, since, among other things, it is subject to climatic changes and conditions. Particularly in recent years with climate change, the pressures that the farming world is under are very high" she said.
However, she continued "the state and the government have really stood by the farming world, both in terms of the damage they suffered from the disasters of recent years and also because of the coronavirus pandemic. Plans have been drawn up, the sectors affected to a significant extent have received compensation, while the recording of damage by officials of the Ministry of Agriculture from the severe weather events that hit our island recently continues.
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